Pont à Ponts

The 'Pont à Ponts' bridge in Doornik was completed in January 2020. This bridge is located a stone's throw from the historic Pont des Trous bridge and was erected entirely in steel. A striking feature of this structure is the heavy D400 grids in 316L stainless steel, which also serve as a drainage system. Thanks to the framing and the many extra welding work, grids and road surface merge into one, fitting into the design of the bridge.

This bridge replacement project was started in early 2018 and forms part of the widening of the Scheldt to make the waterway accessible to ships up to 2,000 tons. The historic Pont des Trous bridge will be overhauled as well, in a subsequent phase. 

The original masonry bridge structure was completely demolished and replaced with a sleek steel bridge. The challenge was to integrate heavy-duty 316L stainless steel grids, sloping with the road surface and at the same time acting as a drainage system. RH grids with 150x5 mm bearing bars in a fine carrying distance up to 20 mm, equipped with the necessary framing, ensured compliance with D400 standards. Thanks to an open substructure in the bridge, the water can easily and directly flow into the Scheldt.

Although not cost-effective, stainless steel is a sustainable product that will be able to prove its load-bearing function here for many decades to come, in a modern road surface design. 

Staco products used

Staco pressed gratings type RH  

Technical information

Staco pressed gratings type RH 5-150, mesh size 22,22 x 33,33 mm, stainless steel 316L

Location

Doornik, BE

Application

Floors

Used in sectors

Public
Architectural
Industrial